Mrs. Mystery Blog

Well, I'm a Feldian, so I'm inclined to recommend Notre Dame. But in that vain, I'd encourage you to check out In the Year of the Dragon - stronger, meatier game that by all accounts plays well as a 2P game.

Do you mind direct conflict or is that something you'd prefer to stay away from?

Speaking of Stefan Feld: I really like Notre Dame, but I think it loses a little something two-player because of the card drafting mechanism. Like you, I was similarly un-wowed by ItYotD. I recently received Macao as a gift, which holds a lot of promise for me (we'll see what happens when it hits the table), so that might be a suggestion (in fact, it is, but whether it's a good one is something else).

I don't know where Glen More falls on the weight scale, but it might be something for you to look at. My grand total of one (1) plays was enjoyable enough, and I've been interested in getting it back into the rotation (or just into the rotation at all).

I'll pop back in later with some other suggestions when I have time. Good luck!

I haven't played any of the games you're trying to choose between, but knowing what you like, I have to suggest you take a look at Metropolys.

Scales beautifully from 2-4 players, has a unique take on the auction mechanic, as well as area control and hidden goals. It is full of interesting decisions and is tons of fun. I wish I could get it to the table more often . . .

I've had it on and off of my radar. Not sure about it. It looks interesting, yes, but will it WOW me? I'm not so sure.

Okay, keeping in mind your criteria:

I've played both Notre Dame and Ninjato. Out of the two, I'd definitely recommend Ninjato. It is fun; Notre Dame is not. Having said that, I'm not sure its sweet spot is with two; you might be better off with three or four players.

Have you looked at At the Gates of Loyang? It's one of the better two-player Euros out there. It's definitely brainy, and far better with two players than with four. And it plays in under an hour and a half once you're familiar with the rules.

Also, I can't recommend Mr. Jack enough. It's exciting, tense, easy to learn, and a battle of wits against your opponent--probably one of the most challenging games I've played. And the expansion makes it even better.

Just throwing this one out there: Goa.

My wife an I are both somewhat quick players, and we churn through it in about 60 minutes two-player. It has some similar core ideas to Notre Dame, but I find the experience meatier and much more fulfilling for the time investment. One of our few truly shared favorites.

From your 5, I've only played Samurai and I wouldn't recommend it for you in this case. Have you tried Tigris & Euphrates? BGG has it online if you'd like to try before buying.

So, in a GL, I "discovered" 1812: The Invasion of Canada, which I need to print and read the rules. It sounds really good and exactly like something that might work for us!! I know he'll play a war game!!

I'll make this really simple if you want something shorter: Carcassonne.

I have high hopes for 1812 as a multiplayer area control/wargame. The rules are only available for download after you've registered with the Academy Games web site.

Just throwing this one out there: Goa.

I am getting this once it becomes readily available, so it is a no-brainer for me.

So, in a GL, I "discovered" 1812: The Invasion of Canada, which I need to print and read the rules. It sounds really good and exactly like something that might work for us!! I know he'll play a war game!!

P.P.S. - checking out your For Trade list to see if there's something I can off Metropolys for...

I think your concerns about Notre Dame are valid, although it should take a number of games before you would feel the expansion would help. If you're looking for 5-10 games, I think you would get that, at least. If you're looking for 100, probably not. The 2p concern is valid as well.

For Ninjato, I guess you are concerned about the theme from a "role model" standpoint, in which case that is valid. And yes, it is a bit conversion-y. But also, as was mentioned, since it is basically a stock ownership game, it's probably better with more than 2 (although I only played with 4, so am not certain).

What about Caylus? I've only played it's little brother (CMC), but a lot of people swear that 2p Caylus is fantastic. And according to a poll, 74% of respondents say that 2 experienced players can finish within 90 minutes (38% say under 60 minutes). [POLL] The real playing time

Also, Arkadia. It might be way to open-ended for your tastes: you can play basically anywhere on the board, build your own little village OR steadily leech off others OR go opportunistically for big moves, and the end can come unexpectedly fast.

But, it is great with 2 (or 3, or 4), plays in an hour, is easy to learn, somewhat abstract, and is Rüdiger Dorn's best game. It's also similar to Samurai in that you place stuff to surround stuff, but there's more going on. So if you fear Samurai might be too simple... (it's not, though)

So try before you buy, possibly online, on yucata. But it might be a great game for you.

Considering what a brain-burner this is, you'll suck at if you bring no brain to it. Just sayin'.



P.S. - my favorite game of all time!

P.P.S. - checking out your For Trade list to see if there's something I can off Metropolys for...

I've considered this one, a long time ago. Maybe I need to double-check it again.

Thanks, Jack!

Have you tried Puerto Rico, MMB? The official two-player variant is excellent!

I second the recommendations for both Goa and E&T.

If wargames are the way to Mystery Bob's heart, why not try A Few Acres of Snow? It's got all sorts of elements in it, but there's also a strong wargaming element. It was my favorite game from last year.

Stephenson's Rocket is a real brain-burner (and somewhat abstract), but it's a great game and is supposed to be fantastic with 2.

Hacienda is lighter than the other games mentioned, but it's very good and plays quite nicely with 2.

I know you gave Macao a thumbs down, but you still might want to investigate another Feld design, The Castles of Burgundy. I think it would play well with 2.

If you don't mind longer games, you may want to check out some of the recent Rosenberg titles. Le Havre might be the best place to start.

Finally, Medici vs. Strozzi is one of my favorite two-player games of all time. It's completely about valuation and judging the worth of different lots of items under a variety of circumstances. It's not for everyone, but I find it very intense and a real brain-melter!

Mechanically, Puerto Rico and San Juan have very little in common. Two player PR should take well under 75 minutes, but the problem is that your first game might take longer, as there's a lot to think about. The good news, though, is that your options each turn are quite limited.

From yer list, I've only played Samurai. While it's an enjoyable adult to adult screwage type game, and yes, it looks nice too, I could see kids getting upset at the amount of screwage in the game!

I'll stick to my earlier off-blog recommendation, K2.

Just a few other suggestions (sorry, can't help myself).

I'd take a look at Magnate, which is a Decktet game. Simple rules but pretty deep decisions. It combines a 2-player card game along the lines of Lost Cities or Battle Line with a resource management system that is very clever. I've played it dozens and dozens of times with my wife, and it's always challenging and I continue to learn new strategies.

You can find copies on the BGG marketplace, but take a look at Antike. With the 2-player variants, this can be a solid civ-building game for two players. The rondal mechanics really keeps the game flowing nicely, and there great decisions throughout. It's one of my favorite games.

Have you ever considered Oregon?

It might meet your criteria.. It's good for 2, has a relatively short play time, is interactive, has interesting challenges and gamplay, and is accessible to an 11-year old (I think, I don't actually game with 11-year olds)

Best part is, you can probably find a copy for about $20.

I know I am late to the party, but I think you should consider these:

Jaipur
Jambo
Armorica

Jaipur and Jambo are two-player-only short card games with several good paths to a win. Some thought, but not to the point of AP. These are my go-to games for the hospital waiting room (where, sadly, I seem to spend a lot of my time). These should be relatively easy to find.

Armorica is a little two to four player game. Short, but with very tight decisions each turn. It might be hard to find, but very much worth the hunt. It's very inexpensive, too, since it's just a deck of cards. It should be under $10.

Games to avoid at all cost (in my opinion):

Do not ever consider Babel. Tower of Babel is a different three player game I do recommend, but people confuse the two. Babel is one of the few 2 player games that my husband and I mutually agreed was so confrontational as to be just a festival of nasty behavior back and forth designed to cause anger and frustration.

Someone suggested Medici VS Strozzi. We found that to be just a math exercise. You spend the whole game calculating which thing to buy each turn that gives you the most money and that calculation takes a while (and we both ended up using calculators and paper to keep from doing the same calculations over and over). If I wanted to do math word problems I'd go to school, thank you very much.

Games I like a lot that have been suggested, but don't fit your time criteria:

Gates of Loyang is good, though. I recommend it a lot, but it might be at the outside edge of your time range.

Caylus is excellent, especially as a two player game, but would simply take too long for your crowd.

Games you were considering that I don't recommend:

I find Notre Dame kind of a bore. It's one we regularly pass on even at flea markets. An adequate game, but we'll let someone else in our game group give it shelf space.


I am glad you chose Samurai. It's one we like. It doesn't get as much play time as it should, though.

And I might just add:
Pergamon - for my daughter and I. A step up in complexity from Archaeology, The Card Game.